1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tumor treatment apparatus in which light of a continuous spectrum including an ultraviolet spectrum, a visible spectrum, and an infrared spectrum, emitted from a light emitting lamp is radiated through an optical fiber through which ultraviolet light can be transmitted, onto an area of tissue of a living body in which TiO.sub.2 has been administered.
2. Description of Related Art
The inventors of the present invention have found that when TiO.sub.2 (titanium dioxide) is administered in a living body, a higher density of TiO.sub.2 is absorbed by tumorigenic cell than by a normal cell. If the tumorigenic cell receives an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength ranging from X-ray to ultraviolet, TiO.sub.2 is excited, so that the tumorigenic cell can be destroyed due to an active oxygen which is produced during the excitation. An antineoplastic agent containing TiO.sub.2 excited by the electromagnetic wave, as mentioned above has been proposed by the assignee of the present application (Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 5-60449).
As mentioned above, TiO.sub.2 is excited by an electromagnetic wave having a wide band wavelength of less than around 400 nm. In general, a commercially available ultraviolet emitting apparatus, such as a 500 W extra-high pressure mercury-vapor lamp is used to radiate an entire range of ultraviolet light of around 300 to 400 nm onto an affected area.
To radiate ultraviolet light onto a specific affected area within a body cavity, it is advisable to use an endoscope having a forceps channel in which a quartz fiber, or the like, through which ultraviolet light can be transmitted is inserted, so that the radiation of ultraviolet light can be carried out while observing the affected area through the quartz fiber.
However, the light source (lamp) for the ultraviolet light emitting apparatus emits not only ultraviolet light but also visible light. Consequently, visible light energy is absorbed by an area of tissue of a living body; although, the absorption rate of visible light is smaller than that of ultraviolet light. This causes the temperature of the normal cell of the biotic tissue to increase.